The federal inspector of drugs on Tuesday seized stocks of all those products of two pharmaceutical companies which they were selling on prices more than the prices fixed by the federal government.
According to official sources, on the direction of Minister of State for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Saira Afzal Tarar, federal inspector raided the warehouses of two Islamabad based pharmaceutical companies namely M/s Wislon’s Pharmaceuticals, Islamabad and M/s Scottmann Pharmaceuticals, Islamabad.
During the inspection, the companies were found overcharging the prices of few drugs. Further legal action will be taken under the Drugs Act, 1976 and rules framed there under, they added.
Earlier, on the directives of the prime minister, Tarar took strict notice of reports of unilateral and illegal price hike by certain pharmaceutical companies.
The minister, in an emergency meeting here, directed that stern action be taken against violators of the government’s pricing regime.”There will be zero tolerance against those deceiving the government and hurting public interest,” she warned.
She said a three-member committee headed by chief executive officer of Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has been constituted to monitor the market and report any violation of the pricing regime.
“Strict action under the law will be taken against companies found violating the law and overpricing,” she said.
The minister said some companies after resorting to illegal price hike sought restraining orders from the court to avoid action by DRAP. She said 18 drug companies had enhanced the prices illegally in the year 2012-2013 and DRAP took legal action against them. The companies approached the Sindh High Court, which granted them stay.
